US2010108249A1PendingUtilityA1

Method and Apparatus For Making Sealed Pouches

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Assignee: CMD CORPPriority: Nov 5, 2008Filed: Nov 5, 2008Published: May 6, 2010
Est. expiryNov 5, 2028(~2.3 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Peter T. HunnicuttGregory J. NackersScott R. GrasseDavid Z. Dytchkowskyi
B32B 2367/00B29C 66/961B29C 66/9674B29C 66/9672B32B 37/16B29C 66/919B31B 2170/20B29C 66/9231B32B 2323/10B29C 65/18B29C 66/723B29C 66/8322B32B 2439/00B29C 66/92443B29C 66/932Y10T156/10B29C 66/80B29K 2105/0854B29C 66/9592B29C 66/43B31B 70/643B32B 37/0046B29C 66/9261B29C 66/91231B32B 2317/12B29C 66/92921B30B 1/186B29C 66/81457B65D 65/40B29C 66/8246B29K 2883/00B29C 66/9392B31B 70/16B29C 66/8122B29C 66/71B32B 37/0076B31B 2155/00B31B 70/642B29K 2067/00Y10T156/1052B29C 66/949B29C 66/9221B32B 37/0053B29K 2821/00B29C 66/91421B29C 66/91212B29L 2009/00B32B 2323/043B29C 66/72328B31B 2150/00B29C 66/93441B32B 2439/80B32B 2309/72B32B 37/1045B31B 2160/10
63
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Claims

Abstract

A method and apparatus for making pouches is disclosed. It includes using one or more of the following features: using two servo motors to drive a platen, providing a calibration routine is run at start-up and/or after the machine has been operating; controlling in response to feed back from the servo motor(s) such as feedback indicative of the distance the platen travels; the feedback is not of force exerted by the platen; and/or the platen is controlled to prevent unacceptable fracturing of the film laminate.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . A machine for making pouches from a laminate film, comprising:
 an infeed section, disposed to receive the laminate film;   a sealing section, disposed to receive the laminate film from the infeed section, including a sealing platen, at least two servo motors connected to drive the sealing platen to intermittently contact the laminate film, wherein the at least two servo motors have at least one control input and a feedback output, wherein the sealing section further includes at least one driven roll to move the laminate film through the sealing section;   an outfeed section, disposed to receive the laminate film from the sealing section; and   a controller, connected to receive feedback from the feedback outputs, and having a control output responsive to the feedback and connected to the at least one control input.   
     
     
         2 . The machine of  claim 1 , wherein the outfeed section includes a cutting subsection. 
     
     
         3 . The machine of  claim 2 , wherein the controller does not receive feedback of the force exerted by the sealing platen on the laminate film. 
     
     
         4 . The machine of  claim 3 , wherein the controller includes a calibration module connected to the control output and the feedback output. 
     
     
         5 . The machine of  claim 4 , wherein the calibration module includes a distance module connected to the control output and the feedback output. 
     
     
         6 . The machine of  claim 5 , further comprising a user adjustable input connected to the controller. 
     
     
         7 . The machine of  claim 6 , wherein the user adjustable input is a distance offset. 
     
     
         8 . The machine of  claim 3 , further comprising a roller screw actuator operatively connected to at least two servo motors and wherein the sealing platen is mounted to each roller screw actuator. 
     
     
         9 . The machine of  claim 1 , wherein the controller includes a distance module, and the control output is responsive to the distance module. 
     
     
         10 . A machine for making pouches from a laminate film, comprising:
 an infeed section, disposed to receive the laminate film;   a sealing section, disposed to receive the laminate film from the infeed section, including a sealing platen, further including at least one servo motor connected to move the sealing platen to intermittently contact the laminate film, wherein the at least one servo motor has a control input and a feedback output indicative of the sealing platen position, wherein the sealing section further includes at least one driven roll to move the laminate film through the sealing section;   an outfeed section, disposed to receive the laminate film from the sealing section; and   a controller, connected to receive feedback from the feedback output, and having a control output responsive to the feedback and connected to the control input.   
     
     
         11 . The machine of  claim 10 , wherein the outfeed section includes a cutting subsection. 
     
     
         12 . The machine of  claim 10 , wherein the sealing platen includes at least two servo motors connected to move the sealing platen. 
     
     
         13 . The machine of  claim 12 , wherein each of the at least two servo motors has a roller screw actuator operatively coupled thereto, and wherein the sealing platen is mounted to each roller screw actuator. 
     
     
         14 . The machine of  claim 10 , wherein the controller includes a calibration module connected to the control output and the feedback output. 
     
     
         15 . The machine of  claim 14 , wherein the calibration module includes a distance module connected to the control output and the feedback output. 
     
     
         16 . The machine of  claim 15 , further comprising a user adjustable distance offset input connected to the controller. 
     
     
         17 . A machine for making pouches from a laminate film, comprising:
 an infeed section, disposed to receive the laminate film;   a sealing section, disposed to receive the laminate film from the infeed section, including a sealing platen, further including at least one servo motor connected to move the sealing platen to intermittently contact the laminate film, wherein the at least one servo motor has a control input and a feedback output, wherein the sealing section further includes at least one driven roll to move the laminate film through the sealing section;   an outfeed section, disposed to receive the laminate film from the sealing section; and   a controller, connected to receive feedback from the feedback output, and having a control output responsive to the feedback and connected to the control input, wherein the controller includes a calibration module connected to the control output and the feedback output.   
     
     
         18 . The machine of  claim 17 , wherein the outfeed section includes a cutting subsection. 
     
     
         19 . The machine of  claim 18 , wherein the sealing platen includes at least two servo motors connected to move the sealing platen. 
     
     
         20 . The machine of  claim 19 , wherein the controller includes a distance calibration module connected to the control output and the feedback output. 
     
     
         21 . The machine of  claim 20 , further comprising a user adjustable distance offset input connected to the controller. 
     
     
         22 . The machine of  claim 21 , further comprising a roller screw actuator operatively connected to at least two servo motors and wherein the sealing platen is mounted to each roller screw actuator. 
     
     
         23 . The machine of  claim 22 , wherein the controller does not receive feedback of the force exerted by the sealing platen on the laminate film. 
     
     
         24 . The machine of  claim 22 , wherein the controller includes a distance module, and the control output is responsive to the distance module. 
     
     
         25 . A machine for making pouches from a laminate film, comprising:
 an infeed section, disposed to receive the laminate film;   a sealing section, disposed to receive the laminate film from the infeed section, including a sealing platen, further including at least one servo motor connected to move the sealing platen to intermittently contact the laminate film, wherein the at least one servo motor has a control input and a distance feedback output, wherein the sealing section further includes at least one driven roll to move the laminate film through the sealing section;   an outfeed section, disposed to receive the laminate film from the sealing section; and   a controller, connected to receive feedback from the feedback output, and having a control output responsive to the feedback and connected to the control input, wherein the controller does not receive feedback of the force exerted by the sealing platen on the laminate film.   
     
     
         26 . A method for making pouches from a laminate film, comprising:
 moving the laminate film to a sealing section;   controlling at least two servo motors to drive the sealing platen to intermittently contact the laminate film in response to feedback from the servo motors; and   moving the laminate film from the sealing section.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprising cutting the laminate film after moving the laminate film from the sealing section. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprising calibrating the sealing section, including controlling the at least two servo motors to move the platen a distance at a calibration speed to contact a backing surface and storing the distance. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising receiving a user adjustable distance offset input. 
     
     
         30 . A method of making pouches from a laminate film, comprising:
 moving the laminate film to a sealing section;   controlling at least one servo motor to drive the sealing platen to intermittently contact the laminate film in response to feedback from the at least one servo motor indicative of the position of the sealing platen; and   moving the laminate film from the sealing section.   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , further comprising cutting the laminate film after moving the laminate film from the sealing section. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , further comprising calibrating the sealing section, including controlling the at least one servo motor to move the platen a distance at a calibration speed to contact a backing surface and storing the distance. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , further comprising receiving a user adjustable distance offset input. 
     
     
         34 . A method for making pouches from a laminate film, comprising:
 calibrating a sealing section, including controlling at least one servo motor to move the platen a distance at a calibration speed to contact a backing surface and storing the distance;   moving the laminate film to a sealing section;   controlling the at least one servo motor to drive the sealing platen at an operating speed to intermittently contact the laminate film in response to feedback from the servo motor, wherein the operating speed is greater than the calibrating speed; and   moving the laminate film from the sealing section.   
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 32 , further comprising receiving a user adjustable distance offset input. 
     
     
         36 . A method for making pouches from a laminate film, comprising:
 moving the laminate film to a sealing section;   controlling at least one servo motor to drive a sealing platen at an operating speed to intermittently contact the laminate film in response to feedback from the servo motor, wherein the feedback is not feedback of the force exerted by the sealing platen on the laminate film;   moving the laminate film from the sealing section; and   cutting the laminate film after moving the laminate film from the sealing section.   
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36 , further comprising calibrating the sealing section, including controlling the at least one servo motor to move the platen a distance at a calibration speed to contact a backing surface and storing the distance, wherein the calibration speed is less than the operating speed. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , further comprising receiving a user adjustable distance offset input. 
     
     
         39 . A method for making pouches from a laminate film, comprising:
 moving the laminate film to a sealing section;   controlling at least one servo motor to drive a sealing platen at an operating speed to intermittently contact the laminate film, without fracturing the laminate film, in response to feedback from the servo motor;   moving the laminate film from the sealing section; and   cutting the laminate film after moving the laminate film from the sealing section.   
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 36 , further comprising calibrating the sealing section, including controlling the at least one servo motor to move the platen a distance at a calibration speed to contact a backing surface and storing the distance, wherein the calibration speed is less than the operating speed. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40 , further comprising receiving a user adjustable distance offset input. 
     
     
         42 . A machine for making pouches from a laminate film, comprising:
 means for sealing the laminate film, including at least two servo motors to drive a sealing platen to intermittently contact the laminate film;   means for moving the laminate film to a sealing section;   means for controlling the at least two servo motors in response to feedback from the servo motors, connected to the at least two servo motors;   means for cutting the laminate film; and   means for moving the laminate film from the means for sealing to the means for cutting.   
     
     
         43 . The machine of  claim 42 , wherein the means for controlling includes means for calibrating the sealing section by moving the platen a distance at a calibration speed to contact a backing surface and storing the distance. 
     
     
         44 . The machine of  claim 43 , further comprising means for receiving a user adjustable distance offset input, and for providing the user input to the means for controlling. 
     
     
         45 . A machine of making pouches from a laminate film, comprising:
 means for sealing the laminate film, including at least one servo motor to drive a sealing platen to intermittently contact the laminate film;   means for moving the laminate film to a sealing section;   means for controlling the at least one servo motor in response to feedback from the servo motors indicative of platen position; and   means for cutting the laminate film; and   means for moving the laminate film from the means for sealing to the means for cutting.   
     
     
         46 . The machine of  claim 45 , wherein the means for controlling includes means for calibrating the sealing section by moving the platen a distance at a calibration speed to contact a backing surface and storing the distance, and further comprising means for receiving a user adjustable distance offset input, and for providing the user input to the means for controlling. 
     
     
         47 . A machine for making pouches from a laminate film, comprising:
 means for calibrating a sealing section, by controlling at least one servo motor to move the platen a distance at a calibration speed to contact a backing surface and storing the distance;   means for moving the laminate film to the sealing section;   means for controlling the at least one servo motor to drive the sealing platen at an operating speed to intermittently contact the laminate film in response to feedback from the servo motor, wherein the operating speed is greater than the calibrating speed; and   means for moving the laminate film from the sealing section.   
     
     
         48 . The machine of  claim 47 , further comprising means for receiving a user adjustable distance offset input, and providing the user adjustable distance offset input to the means for controlling. 
     
     
         49 . A machine for making pouches from a laminate film, comprising:
 a sealing section including a platen and at least one servo motor to drive the sealing platen to intermittently contact the film;   means for moving the laminate film to the sealing section;   means for controlling the at least one servo motor to intermittently contact the laminate film without fracturing the laminate film, in response to feedback from the servo motor;   means for cutting the laminate film; and   means for moving the laminate film from the sealing section to the means for cutting.

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